STUDY COLLECTIONS 127 
In 1916 the work of the Museum was extended by the establishment 
of local lecture centers, or courses of lectures given by members of the 
Museum staff in certain of the public schools. 
Arrangements were also made by which the large series of lantern 
slides, numbering more than 25,000, were loaned to teachers for use in 
class rooms. 
The scientific side of the work of the Museum is based upon its 
explorations and study collections. 
The Study Collections, as the name implies, are not only for the 
benefit of students but preserve a record of our vanishing 
animal life and of the life and customs of our own and other 
primitive peoples. 
In the case of Natural History the vast majority of the specimens are 
in the study series, not only because they would ultimately be ruined by 
exposure to light but because the display of all material would only con- 
fuse the visitor. Moreover, no museum has room to show everything, 
and a careful selection is made of objects of the greatest educational 
value and these are so displayed as to enhance their interest and attrac- 
tiveness. 
The Study Collections are, briefly, as follows: 
Anthropology—Ethnology.—On the attic floor of the west wing and 
the northwest pavilion there are thirty-three fireproof storerooms con- 
taining the ethnological study collections of more than 100,000 catalogue 
numbers, comprising extensive series for the Philippine Islands, Siberia, 
China, Africa, South Africa and the various culture areas in North 
America. 
The human skeleton material is chiefly from western States and South 
America. About two thousand crania have been classified and made 
available for study. 
Archeology.—In archeology there is a large type series of stone 
objects from the various States of the Union. Full collections from 
excavated sites in British Columbia, Washington State, New York State, 
Kentucky, Arizona and New Mexico are here, together with a special 
series from the Trenton Valley. There is much material from Mexico, 
Peru and Bolivia. 
Geology.—The study collections comprise, among other things, the 
Hitcheock series of rocks illustrating thirteen geological sections across 
the States of Vermont and New Hampshire; a complete set of duplicate 
specimens from the United States geological survey of the Fortieth 
Parallel; a series illustrating the early geological survey of Pennsylvania; 
a complete typical series of rocks and microscopic thin sections illus- 
trating Rosenbusch’s manual of petrography; large series of American 
Study 
Collections 
